BACK in the 1930s, it was state of the art. Today it is the state of a different art.

The magnificent Gaumont Cinema was opened with much fanfare in Coventry's Jordan Well in 1931. Now, 77 years later, it hosts film making, but of a different type - digital not celluloid.

The Ellen Terry Building, as it is now known, is the home of Coventry University's media and communication department. On May 28 the doors are being opened so visitors can step back and forward in time.

The first film to grace the screen of the Gaumont, and showing once again this year is The Millionaire, starring George and Florence Arliss.

The students are staging a three-day Phoenix Media Festival to showcase their work on May 28, 29 and 30.

John Mair, one of the festival organisers, said: "This is a unique opportunity to bridge two very different media eras. We are proud of the work of our graduates."